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Minarets, Myths and Underworld Magic
September 2023

In the midst of a full schedule of promotion and tour preparation, Jo and I joined our friend Dizzy for a quick break to the wonderful exotic Turkish city of Istanbul. Known previously as Byzantium and Constantinople it has a many layered history, and straddling the European and Asian continents it's a major crossroads between East and West.

We enjoyed a boat ride with the two continents on either side through the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Here was where Jason and the Argonauts once sailed on their dangerous quest to find the Golden Fleece.

Beneath the modern Islamic city is an ancient past… Under one restaurant was a glass floor through which you could see the ruins of a Roman palace. We were intrigued as we descended into the massive Roman underground cistern, replete with multiple pillars and arches along with two massive Medusa heads. Roman emperor Constantine took many artefacts from the ancient world to this city, including a serpent headed column from Delphi, which we found sadly without the three snake heads within the space that had once been the Hippodrome.

The Moslems who later took over the city turned the ancient Byzantine church Hagia Sophia into a mosque, and today it's intriguing to see the combination of Christian and Islamic art in that beautiful building. The Blue Mosque is equally impressive, with its lovely stained glass windows and painted interior. Likewise, the architecture of the Topkapi Palace is wonderfully ornate, surrounded by gorgeous lush gardens.

The city is full of hidden treasures. Walking through dark narrow streets through a smoky shisha haze, we passed exquisite multi coloured lamps and carpets along with thousands of golden trinkets, all gathered together in what appeared to be a labyrinth of Aladdin's caves. Then suddenly we'd turn a corner to see an ornate arch, ancient battlements or the Galata Tower turret. Within one of these tiny walkways, we found the entrance to the place where dervishes whirl their hypnotic dance of the spirit.

Exploring this extraordinary city was indeed a heady adventure through eras and dimensions... and an experience which more than matched the world of my imagination as I wrote The Dervish and the Djinn and The Last Train to Istanbul...

With many thanks to Thames Travel who enabled a journey to yet another spectacular place.